November 28, 2004
Women's Basketball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SECOND HALF RALLY OVERPOWERS CINCINNATI

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Indiana State Sycamores trailed 42-36 at the half, but used a solid defensive outing in the second stanza – holding Cincinnati to just 20 points – as they defeated the Bearcats, 76-62. ISU moves to 2-1, while UC drops to 2-2.

The game marked the first time since a 65-62 victory over SMS during the 2003 season that ISU trailed at the half and came back to win.

ISU allowed 17 Cincinnati offensive rebounds and 13 second chance points in the first half, but held the Bearcats to just four in the second as Indiana State scored eight on put backs of their own in the come-from-behind victory.

Indiana State would jump out to a 22-14 lead on a shot by Melanie Boeglin with 10:49 left in the first half, but the Bearcats came roaring back behind the play of Bellva May who scored 13 first half points. Cincy would go on an 11-3 run after the score was tied at 27 to take a 40-32 lead with 1:47 remaining before the break.

Ashley Clark, native of Cincinnati, Ohio, paced ISU with a career-best 20 points, and made it a six-point contest at the half with a running lay-up as the clock approached 30 seconds. ISU then made a defensive stop on UC’s last possession.

The Sycamores opened the second stanza on a 13-2 run to take a 51-44 lead with 13:00 left. Lisch got it rolling with a jumper on the first possession and capped the run with a free throw. With ISU trailing 44-43, Lisch hit a jumper after a Cincinnati turnover to give the Sycamores the lead with 16:41 showing.

Cincinnati’s Micah Harvey attempted to get the Bearcats back in the game with a 3-pointer at the 11:13 mark to make the score 52-49, but Clark came back down and hit a lay-up plus the foul shot to put ISU ahead six.

At the 6:23 mark, Cincinnati made its final stand on a fast break bucket by Slaughter to inch back to within 62-58.

Clark, Maenpaa and Lisch hit three consecutive jumpers as the Sycamore press began to force UC turnovers to take a 68-58 lead with 4:57 remaining.

The Bearcats’ Anne Stephens hit four consecutive free throws to get within six at 68-62 with 3:44 showing on the clock. Boeglin then hit two free throws and Maenpaa sealed the victory with a jumper to move the lead over 10 points.

Boeglin drained a pair of free throws and Clark hit a jumper to close the 76-62 victory.

ISU returns for a three-game home stand which begins with the State Farm Classic on Saturday. The Sycamores face Ball State at 2:30 p.m. (EST), following Butler and Valparaiso at noon. ISU hosts Indiana and Eastern Kentucky throughout the remainder of the home stand.

GAME BOX SCORE